Category Archives: Clarke

Wildlife-viewing projects from Athens to Colquitt and Atlanta to Brunswick will receive grants to improve public opportunities to see and learn about animals, plants and natural habitats considered conservation priorities in Georgia’s State Wildlife Action Plan.

The Georgia Wildlife Resources Division, part of the Department of Natural Resources, announced today that six projects have been selected as 2018 recipients in the agency’s Wildlife Viewing Grants Program.

Funded by the Georgia Nongame Wildlife Conservation Fund and the Georgia Natural Resources Foundation, the grants are aimed at helping develop and enhance viewing options that increase awareness of wildlife, with an emphasis on Wildlife Action Plan species and habitats. Georgia’s Wildlife Action Plan is a comprehensive strategy to conserve these creatures and places before they become rarer and costlier to conserve or restore.

This year’s recipients, chosen from more than 20 applicants, are:

Athens-Clarke County: $2,823 for bat boxes and signage on the Oconee Rivers Greenway as part of larger bat-awareness project.

Jon Ambrose, chief of the Wildlife Resources Division’s Nongame Conservation Section, said the projects reflect the rich diversity of Georgia’s wildlife and the range of animals, plants and habitats identified as conservation priorities in the State Wildlife Action Plan.

“From the focus on bats along Athens-area greenways to rare species and habitats at Spring Creek in Colquitt, these projects will help Georgians learn about and experience some of the species and natural habitats we and others are working to restore and protect,” Ambrose said.

The projects also dovetail with the Natural Resources Foundation’s mission, according to foundation Executive Director Mark Walker. “We support DNR efforts to sustain, enhance, protect and conserve natural resources. This work is not only geared toward those goals, it connects with other conservation organizations, which can provide even stronger benefits for our natural resources and the public.”

Although the grants are small, the interest they tap is big. According to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service survey, about 2.4 million people took part in wildlife-viewing activities in Georgia in 2011. The survey estimated related spending at $1.8 billion.

The Nongame Conservation Section is charged with restoring and conserving nongame wildlife, rare native plant species and natural habitats through research, management and public education. The section depends largely on fundraisers, grants and contributions to the Nongame Wildlife Conservation Fund. Sales and renewals of DNR’s eagle and hummingbird license plates are the leading fundraiser.

The Georgia Natural Resources Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports the preservation of Georgia’s natural and cultural resources through DNR projects, activities and programs. Established in 2010, the foundation relies on donations and partnerships with individuals, corporations and similarly aligned foundations to support its initiatives.

Gov. Nathan Deal today announced three award winners for Implementation Grants and Scaling Grants administered through the Innovation Fund, a competitive grant program that provides funding to school districts, traditional public schools, charter schools and regional education service agencies to further advance student achievement in Georgia.

“The educators behind these programs are dedicated to piloting innovative approaches to education for use across the state,” said Deal. “I am confident these grants will provide schools and education groups with effective opportunities to transform educational experiences for many of Georgia’s students. Together, we will continue working to ensure that every student receives the tools necessary for academic achievement and lifelong success.”

Implementation Grants will provide each winner up to $700,000 over two and a half years to pilot an innovative education program aligned with one of the Innovation Fund priority areas. Scaling Grants will provide each winner up to $700,000 over two and a half years to scale a successful existing program to serve more students, teachers or leaders.

The grant award winners and their respective programs are listed below.

Implementation Grants

Clarke County School DistrictPathway of Support: Trauma-Informed Care

Crisp County School SystemEarly SUCCESS: Strategies for Underserved Children, Community Engagement, and Social-emotional Support

Scaling Grant

Westside High SchoolBibb County School District
Westside STEAM Magnet High School RTI-Based Personalized Learning Program

The selected programs are aligned with two of the Innovation Fund priority areas: development and replication of blended and personalized learning school models and birth-to-age-eight language and literacy development. Grantees will evaluate the effectiveness of their respective programs and submit findings to the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA). The state will use these findings to determine best practices in personalized and blended learning and birth-to-age-eight language and literacy development.

About the Innovation Fund

The Innovation Fund invests in public education entities that develop and scale programs that enable Georgia educators to improve student performance and tackle our state’s most significant education challenges. In 2011, the Innovation Fund began as a $19.4 million grant competition created under Georgia’s Race to the Top (RT3) Plan. To continue the Innovation Fund’s work beyond RT3, Deal appropriated state funding for Fiscal Years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Since its inception, the Innovation Fund has invested more than $33 million of state and federal funding through 154 grants to school districts, charter schools, postsecondary institutions and nonprofit organizations to pilot innovative education programs, ranging in focus from teacher and leader induction and development to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) applied learning, blended learning and birth-to-age-eight language and literacy development. More information about the Innovation Fund is available on the GOSA website.

Gov. Nathan Deal today announced 18 grant award winners for the Innovation Fund, a competitive grant program that provides funding to local education authorities and schools to further advance student achievement in Georgia.

“The Innovation Fund Grant is an opportunity to fuel the innovative ideas of Georgia’s education leaders and students throughout the state,” said Deal. “I am confident this funding will give schools and education groups a greater opportunity to develop methods to ensure that every Georgia student is given the tools necessary for academic achievement.”

The programs are aligned with the following priority areas: applied learning with a focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education; development and replication of blended learning school models; birth to age eight language and literacy development; and teacher and leader development for high-need schools.

Grantees will evaluate the effectiveness of their programs and submit their findings to the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. The state will use these findings to determine best practices in each of the priority areas.

The grant award winners and their respective programs are listed below:

Planning Grants

Planning grants will provide each winner between $5,000 to $10,000 over one year to research and develop an innovative education program aligned with one of the Innovation Fund priority areas.

Baldwin County School District
Read Baldwin County

Clarke County School District
Coaching for Innovation in P-3 Language & Literacy

Charles R. Drew Charter School
21CLM: Promoting School Innovation and Success throughout Georgia

The Innovation Fund invests in public education entities that aggressively develop and scale programs that enable Georgia educators to improve student performance and tackle our state’s most significant education challenges. In 2011, The Innovation Fund began as a $19.4 million competitive grant competition created under Georgia’s Race to the Top (RT3) Plan. To continue the Innovation Fund’s work beyond RT3, Governor Deal appropriated state funding for Fiscal Years (FY) 2015, 2016, and 2017. Since its inception, the Innovation Fund has invested $32 million of state and federal funding through 84 grants to 55 school districts, charter schools, postsecondary institutions and nonprofit organizations to pilot innovative education programs, ranging in focus from teacher and leader induction and development to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) applied learning, blended learning, and birth to age eight language and literacy development. More information about the Innovation Fund can be found on the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement website.